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The Weekly Fill-Up | October 27-31

As the harvest season begins to wind down and attention shifts toward winter prep, the energy markets that support your operation are showing some subtle but meaningful moves. Whether you’re fueling combines, hauling grain, running dryers or prepping equipment for colder weather, staying ahead of these changes will help you stay efficient and cost-savvy.

Retail diesel across the U.S. has held relatively steady, but the underlying fundamentals suggest caution. For example, national averages are running higher year-over-year — one operator noted that the U.S. average diesel price in September was around $3.75 per gallon, up from about $3.56 a year earlier. That’s not a dramatic leap, but in high-volume operations it adds up. For eastern South Dakota farms and grain-haul fleets, that means now is a good time to review fuel consumption, schedule delivery windows when premiums are low, and consider locking in parts of winter volume before logistics tighten or weather-driven surcharges kick in.

While diesel grabs most of the headlines, don’t overlook maintenance fluids like oils, greases and hydraulics. These are less volatile in their headlines but fundamental to keeping machinery from downtime. Supply chains remain stretched for some specialty additives and oils—especially given rural delivery constraints—so being proactive with your supply chain pays off.

Another energy input worth special attention is diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Usage remains elevated thanks to harvest movement, but supply logistics and storage issues are increasingly in focus. Having your DEF tanks topped and ready before cold weather sets in means one less operational risk for your equipment fleet.

Turning to propane, the outlook is cautiously positive. National propane inventories are above their five-year averages heading into winter, which is a good buffer. Yet there is a farm-specific twist: in the Midwest, propane demand can spike quickly when grain drying runs long or harvest gets delayed. That means even though national numbers suggest a comfortable cushion, localized demand surges and delivery/tank logistics can still create premium situations. For any propane-using application—crop drying, shop heating, livestock operations—it makes sense to evaluate tank levels now, secure deliveries, and hedge part of the winter fill-up before the rush.

Putting this all together, the current energy landscape for our patrons at Sioux Valley Coop is one of stability—but it’s better described as “stable with opportunity” rather than “stable for sure.” Because markets don’t have big jumps this week doesn’t mean they can’t next week. So being proactive with volume commitments, delivery scheduling and inventory oversight puts you ahead. We’re here to help — your cooperative buying power, local logistics and agrarian focus mean we can move smarter together.

Sources

  1. C.H. Robinson Edge Report — “Diesel costs up again, squeezing logistics budgets.”
  2. Ryan Transportation Industry Update — “October 2025 Fuel Prices.”
  3. U.S. Energy Information Administration — “U.S. propane inventories are well stocked heading into the winter heating season.”
  4. OilPrice.com — “Full Propane Tanks, Wet Corn, and the Price Wildcard Ahead.”
  5. U.S. Energy Information Administration — “Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update.”